title: Stroke education program of act FAST for junior high school students and their parents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We produced a stroke education program using the FAST (facial droop, arm weakness, speech disturbance, time to call an ambulance) mnemonic.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to examine efficacy of our education program for junior high school students and their parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred ninety students of 3 junior high schools (aged 12-13 years) and their parents were enrolled. Students received a 45-minute lesson of stroke enlightenment using the FAST mnemonic. Enlightenment items, such as a magnet poster, were distributed. Parents were educated indirectly from their child. Surveys of stroke knowledge were examined at baseline, immediately after the lesson, and at 3 months after the lesson.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the students, correct answers at 3 months were significantly higher than those at baseline in questions of facial palsy (98% versus 33%), speech disturbance (98% versus 54%), numbness on one side (64% versus 42%), weakness on one side (80% versus 51%), calling an ambulance (88% versus 60%), alcohol drinking (85% versus 65%), smoking (70% versus 43%), dyslipidemia (58% versus 46%), hyperglycemia (59% versus 48%), and obesity (47% versus 23%). At 3 months, the parents answered more correctly questions of facial palsy (93% versus 66%), calling an ambulance (95% versus 88%), and alcohol drinking (65% versus 51%) than at baseline. At 3 months, 96% of students and 78% of parents answered the FAST mnemonic correctly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our stroke education program improved stroke knowledge, especially the FAST message, for junior high school students and their parents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. Electronic address: cyokota@ncvc.go.jp.
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shigehatake
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuteru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hagihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomii
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toyoda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minematsu
mesh_terms: D000004:Abbreviations as Topic; D000293:Adolescent; D000552:Ambulances; D002359:Cartoons as Topic; D002648:Child; D032882:Comprehension; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D034941:Upper Extremity
keywords: School-based intervention; emergent medical service; prehospital delay; stroke enlightenment; stroke knowledge